you can't have the same car as me, gary! i'm gettin' one. nope! [ male announcer ] volkswagen springtoberfest is here and there's no better time to get a passat. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease one of four volkswagen models for under $200 a month. visit vwdealer.com today. >>> welcome back to "hardball." the conservatives have come to town to washington. the annual cpac conference is under way just outside washington. it's making news not only for who's coming, that's mitt romney, donald trump, sarah palin, but also for who's not coming. popular gop governor, chris christie and bob mcdonnell, he's from virginia. in other words, invite the noise makers, snub the people who might actually lead the party out of the wilderness. my view, of course. al is chairman of the american conservative union, the group that puts on cpac, and former national chairman of the republican party, michael steele, an msnbc analyst. it's great to have you on. i want to ask you something very positive and nice to warm you up before we get started he